Summary: As the light shines, the hostile opposition to it, & thus to Jesus the light bearer, grows. It was now dangerous for Jesus to appear at the Feast of Tabernacles. Despite the danger Jesus follows His appointed path but with wisdom.

As the light shines, the hostile opposition to it, and thus to Jesus the light bearer, grows.

It was now dangerous for Jesus to appear in Judea, so that His appearance at Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles must be carefully arranged. Even so it was a feat of courage, and an attempt was actually made to arrest Him. But though danger was threaten Jesus continued on His appointed path.

[In John 7 we read about Jesus in Jerusalem among His own people, struggling for recognition, being battered by questions, and in the end, being condemned by those who are experts in theology. ]

I. THE THREAT TO HIS LIFE, 1.

II. THE DISCUSSION WITH HIS BROTHERS, 2-8.

III. THE REACTION OF THE CROWDS, 9-13.

Verse 1 introduces a new occurrence. After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.

After these things indicates that John knows what Jesus has been doing but does not record any of it. He is not writing a complete history of Jesus’ ministry. It seems He was going from place to place in Galilee praying, discipling, preaching, and healing.

It has been six months since the Passover Festival in John 6, and Jesus has been avoiding Judea because He knows the depth of hostility waiting for Him there (7:7). Ever since the healing of the paralytic in Jerusalem on the Sabbath His opponents had been seeking to kill Him (5:18). As time progresses their hatred increases until they finally do kill Him.

II. THE DISCUSSION WITH HIS BROTHERS, 2-8.

In verse 2 John references the event that created the interactions. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.

The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths occurred in October (the second week) about six months after Passover (Jn. 6:2-5). It began five days after the Day of Atonement and lasted eight days. (Yom Kippur when the high priest annually entered the Holy of Holies to apply the blood of an innocent spotless lamb to the horns of the Mercy Seat over the Ark of the Covenant.) It is described in Leviticus 23: 33ff and was held in commemoration of the time Israel wandered in the wilderness and lived in booths or tents (Lev. 23:43). Each family constructed its own temporary shelter of branches to live in for the period of the feast. It also was the celebration of ingathering or harvest. It was one of three annual feast at which attendance was required of all Jewish men (Deut. 16:16).

As the light shines, the hostile opposition to it, & thus to Jesus the light bearer, grows. It was now dangerous for Jesus to appear at the Feast of Tabernacles. Despite the danger Jesus follows His appointed path but with wisdom.

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